Wednesday, 31 August 2022

A Really Extreme Weather Event!

Hailstones are produced by droplets of water, being turned to ice. The particle is then repeatedly carried higher into the atmosphere, each time getting a new, concentric ice layer. When it becomes too heavy to be taken back up, the hailstone drops to the ground. In Catalonia's (Spain) Girona region, a 20 month old girl was recently killed, after being stuck by a 10cm diameter hailstone (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/31/girl-dies-in-catalonia-after-being-struck-by-large-hailstone). Girona had lacked meaningful rainfall for several weeks. According to accounts, the storm, when it arrived, only lasted circa 10 minutes. The hailstones, however, were up to 11cm in diameter and seriously dangerous. Hailstones of this diameter can only be produced, if there are enormous energies high in the atmosphere. This really is extreme and unusual weather!
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